Various devices and methods have been employed in cooling beverages in containers from room temperature to consumption-pleasing low temperatures, generally of about 5.degree. C. The most common method is, of course, the use of commercial or household refrigerators or freezer units into which the beverage containers are statically placed. While effective, such cooling means entails the massive utilization of refrigerator and freezer space (especially in commercial establishments) which is costly and is at a premium when freezer or refrigerator space is generally required for other food storage purposes.
In addition, refrigeration and freezer units (with ambient air cooling) require inordinate initial periods of time, generally of the order of about an hour (freezer) to several hours (refrigerator) being required for cooling of a can of soda from room temperature (20.degree.-25.degree. C.) to the desired 5.degree. C. If reasonably immediate consumption is required, such as at point of sale, at parties, or on very hot days, this time delay for cooling is very undesirable. Accordingly, quick cooling devices have been developed specifically for use with beverage containers. These devices, while generally effective in reducing the time for cooling beverages, nevertheless still require, at a minimum, about five minutes for the cooling of a standard 12 ounce beverage can, having nominal dimensions of about 2.5" diam..times.4.75" height (still an inordinate amount of waiting time for a customer). Furthermore, in commercial embodiments, such cooling devices are usually designed only for cooling of a single container at a time, and are accordingly not suitable for anything other than individual use.
Existing cooling devices have operated on one of two general methods involving heat transfer. A first method, and the most common one, involves cooling with ice such as embodied in a presently commercial device. This device provides for placement of a beverage can on a bed of ice to effect a facilitated heat transfer and cooling. Since only a portion of the container is in contact with the ice, the container is rotated against the ice. In addition, in order to maintain heat transfer-contact with the ice, the device provides for a constant exerted contact pressure of the container with respect to the ice to compensate for melting of the ice and reduction of height. Since ice can have substantially lower temperatures than the desired drinking temperature, heat exchange and beverage temperature lowering is facilitated and hastened.
A second, less effective method involves conveying or placing the beverage containers into a cold water shower or bath. Because of the higher temperatures of the cold water, as compared to ice, cooling times for this method have been substantially longer than that for methods which utilize ice as the cooling medium, even though the cold water shower or bath completely covers the container at all times during cooling.
Despite its effectiveness in cooling (because of its low temperatures relative to water), the use of ice as a cooling medium can however be detrimental in certain common uses. When used for cooling carbonated beverages, particularly when such cooling is not carefully monitored, freezing of the beverage, with untoward consequences, is possible.
The temperature of ice is rarely at 0.degree. C. and is usually significantly lower. As a result, if the ice temperature is sufficiently low and with extensive cooling time, freezing of the beverage within the container is very possible. Since such containers are closed, it is difficult, if not impossible, to monitor temperature and state conditions of the beverage during the cooling process to stop the process prior to any freezing. Under these conditions, with excessive cooling, partially frozen carbonated beverages will detrimentally erupt, on opening of the container. Though cold water is not subject to this detrimental effect with carbonated beverages, its use is however not as efficient in effecting the requisite rapid cooling.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a means for the very rapid cooling of beverages within containers, with a duration of cooling which is several orders less than that of prior art devices which utilize cooling with ice.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such rapid cooling but without the detriment of possible freezing of carbonated beverages.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide such means, with exact temperature control means, in a compact economical device, in embodiments suitable for commercial and residential use.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such cooling means with a capability of simultaneously cooling multiple containers.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more evident from the following discussion and drawings in which: